Assembly Elections

TN Assembly polls: Battle lines drawn, AIADMK switches to campaign mode

With a month to go for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the battle lines are clearly drawn and the AIADMK camp is making apparent efforts to get a headstart ahead of the ruling DMK bloc by quickly finalising the seat-sharing deal, identifying constituencies for itself and allies and switching on to the campaign mode. The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu will take on the DMK in certain urban centres considered to be the ruling party's stronghold. The assembly polls will be held on April 23 and counting of votes taken up on May 4. Determined to win over 210 out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, the AIADMK has announced that it would contest from 169 seats, leaving the rest to allies, while the DMK has readied its poll battle machinery in as many as 175 constituencies. For its part, the Stalin-led party has set a target to secure over 200 seats. DMK has announced that 'Rising Sun' will be in fray from 175 Assembly segments, indicating it wo

ECI orders prior approval for political ads ahead of Assembly elections

The Election Commission has directed political parties and candidates to seek pre-approval for ads across TV and digital platforms amid concerns over misinformation and AI misuse in campaigns

BJP releases second list of 39 candidates for Kerala Assembly elections

The BJP on Thursday released the second list of 39 candidates for the Kerala Assembly polls, fielding former state BJP president and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan from Aranmula seat. The party named CC Mukandan as it's candidate from Nattila seat. Deepak Puzhakkal will contest from Tanur seat and Aswinini ML from Kasaragod, according to the list released by the BJP. Pathmasree M will contest from Manjeri constituency and Renu Suresh from Kongad seat. BJP had earlier released the names of 47 candidates in its first list.

West Bengal Assembly polls: Trinamool Congress drops 74 sitting MLAs

Mamata Banerjee's TMC drops 74 sitting MLAs in Bengal poll list, signalling a generational shift; Congress also unveils first list for Kerala Assembly elections

Assembly elections in five states from April 9, results on May 4

EC announces April polling for five states and Puducherry, with Bengal voting in two phases and results scheduled for May 4

Election Commission to announce assembly poll dates for five states today

The Election Commission will announce dates for assembly polls on Sunday evening. Polls are due in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. The poll authority has convened a press conference at 4 pm to announce the schedule. The terms of these legislative assemblies are ending on different dates in May and June. Final electoral rolls of the four states and the Union territory of Puducherry have been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list.

The economics and art of giving: TN elections may revive freebie debate

With elections in Tamil Nadu approaching, the 'investment or freebie' debate, as part of the overall development question, is likely to resume

Elections and diplomacy set to shape New Delhi's packed 2026 calendar

As India enters a busy election year in 2026, Archis Mohan explains how domestic politics and foreign engagement will intersect

Beyond legacy, towards power as heirs vie for votes in state elections

Across southern and eastern India, upcoming Assembly elections place the spotlight on political heirs looking to translate legacy, governance and organisation into votes

Modi sounds poll bugle in Bengal, Assam; flags illegal immigration

PM hits out at TMC & Congress over the illegal immigrant issue; Opposition accuses him of neglecting other concerns in both states

Bihar voters have spoken, the new government must now keep its promises

As things stand, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to lead the government again and, having been mostly at the helm since 2005, is well aware of where the state stands

Bihar elections voting phase I LIVE news: 64.46% voter turnout logged till 8 pm, says ECI

Bihar Assembly election 2025 phase 1 voting LIVE updates: The state capital Patna recorded one of the lowest early morning figures at 11.22 per cent, according to ECI data

Bihar Assembly poll campaign puts spotlight on tenant farmers' rights

Campaigning for the Bihar polls has put spotlight on tenant farmers' rights, even as tenancy legalisation remains contentious

Datanomics: Election looms in Bihar, but who's been asking tough questions?

As Bihar heads for polls on Nov 6 and 11, data shows active questioning by opposition MLAs and fluctuating assembly sittings under the NDA-Mahagathbandhan tenure

EC may launch 1st phase of pan-India SIR next week, covering 10-15 states

Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026 and will be among the first states where the Election Commission begins voter list revision

EC reactivates its economic intelligence panel after six-year gap

The Election Commission has reactivated its economic intelligence panel after a gap of six years to curb the use of money, liquor and drugs to influence voters ahead of the Bihar polls. The Multi-Departmental Committee on Election Intelligence (MDCEI) met here on Friday for the first time since 2019 to fine-tune the strategy of enforcement agencies and central police forces to prevent the use of money power and freebies to sway voters in poll-bound Bihar. The committee was formed in 2014 ahead of that year's general elections. Officials said the committee met ahead of polls between 2014 and 2019, but did not do so formally thereafter. Agency and security forces' heads had been meeting to strategise steps to check money power. On Friday, they met on a bigger scale. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were present at the meeting. The committee includes 17 departments -- Central Board of Direct Taxes, Central Board of Indire

PM Modi to launch Bihar election campaign on Oct 24 with two rallies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his campaign for the Bihar assembly polls next week, with as many as four election rallies scheduled by the end of this month, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference here, Jaiswal said Modi will kick off his campaign with a rally in Samastipur on October 24, followed by another election meeting in Begusarai the very same day. "The PM, who is among the world's tallest leaders, will visit Karpoori Gram, the birthplace of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, in Samastipur district, and pay his tributes to the former Bihar CM before addressing his first rally. His second rally will be in Begusarai in the afternoon," he said. Jaiswal said the PM will be back in the poll-bound state on October 30, when he will be addressing rallies in Muzaffarpur and Chhapra, the town where Saran district is headquartered. "The PM's rallies are also scheduled on November 2, 3, 6 and 7. Details of these will be shared in due course

PM Modi launches projects worth ₹13K cr in Bihar, ₹1,200 crore in Bengal

Prime Minister Modi launches key infrastructure projects in Bihar and West Bengal, including the Kona Expressway and new metro routes in Kolkata, while addressing political and security concerns

Bihar Assembly polls: The votes that built Nitish Kumar's stronghold

Ahead of Assembly polls, Bihar CM sharpens women-focused agenda with domicile quota, banking on female voters' rising clout and support

A poll quest for Bihar's 'forgotten people': Contesting for the tribal vote

As the JMM weighs its options ahead of the Assembly polls, including contesting on its own, others chalk out plans to attract the elusive tribal voter